Target is pulling some of its LGBTQ merchandise ahead of Pride Month after facing "threats" and backlash from customers, the company said Wednesday.
Target’s website features hundreds of Pride items as part of its Pride Collection but will be pulling some of those items due to “threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work.”
“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” the company said in a statement.
It’s unclear which items Target plans to pull. The move comes ahead of Pride Month, which is celebrated in June.
Target has recently received attention for its “tuck friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Much of the social media frenzy came from users who falsely claimed the suits were designed for kids or in kids’ sizes. The “tuck-friendly” swimsuits are only offered in adult sizes, according to a spokesperson for the company and Target’s website. Kids’ swimsuits in the collection do not feature this label.
On Twitter, California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Target chief executive Brian Cornell of “selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists.”
“This isn’t just a couple stores in the South. There is a systematic attack on the gay community happening across the country,” Newsom said.
Bud Light faced similar backlash in April after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
